Description

This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 21/03/2017

SE 6052 SW,
1112-1/27/302

YORK,
DUNCOMBE PLACE, (North West side),
Church of St Wilfrid

01/07/68

GV

II

Catholic church. 1862-64. By George Goldie. Coursed squared
yellow stone with grey ashlar bands and dressings: slate roofs
with wrought-iron finials.
PLAN: 5-bay aisled nave and clerestory with polygonal apse,
west gallery and narthex; south-east vestry; south-west tower;
north-west Lady Chapel.
EXTERIOR: east end and north side not accessible.
South side: 1-storey pent roofed aisle in front of aisle
clerestory: at western end of aisle pent roofed porch
projects. Porch has arched opening and diagonally boarded door
on fine wrought-iron hinges in moulded 2-centred arch on squat
columns with foliate capitals. Windows to east are of one, two and
three cusped lights with foiled tracery in 2-centred heads beneath
coved hoodmoulds on foliate or head stops. Clerestory windows
are of paired trefoil-headed lights with cinquefoil tracery in
2-centred heads. Windows to chancel are cusped lancets, paired
and tripled and tied by impost string.
Vestry: two gabled storeys. Ground and first floors have 4-pane
sash windows; on first floor, surround is chamfered and has
blind 2-centred head pierced with quatrefoil. Gable has
circular window with cinquefoil light in centre. 4-stage tower
has 2-stage setback gabled buttresses. South face lowest stage
has window of two cusped lights in 2-centred arch with squat
jamb shafts and plate tracery in the head: hoodmould on head
stops. Second stage has single slit light beneath relieving
arch on south and west faces: above, blind arcade of four
2-centred arches on slender colonnettes with foliate capitals.
Belfry openings are paired lancets with scalloped louvres in
2-centred arches of two orders: columns have foliate capitals.
Ballflower frieze, cornice with gargoyles, and pierced parapet
with oversized crocket finial at each corner: steep hipped
roof with wrought-iron finials and crucifix.
West end: gabled and flanked by setback gabled buttresses,
from which pyramidal pinnacles with oversized crocket finials
rise on north and south sides. West door has paired
part-glazed C20 doors in 2-centred arch of four orders with
stiff-leaf capitals and richly carved soffits: outer order
carried carved gabled hood. Between doors, sculpted seated
figure beneath canopy rises on column pedestal: above doors,
tympanum filled with high relief carvings of four scriptural and allegorical
scenes. Two west windows of paired lights with cinquefoils in
2-centred arches on slender colonnettes flank sculpted
standing figures beneath tall crocketed canopy. Above is
circular window of four foiled lights in carved surround and
crocketed gable cross.
Lady Chapel: 1-storey, with polygonal end. High windows have
2-centred arches on colonnettes with waterleaf capitals. at
west end is high relief carving of the Virgin and Child.

INTERIOR: north and south arcades of 2-centred arches on high
round columns with moulded shaft rings and waterleaf capitals
carved with angels. North wall is blind arcade on square piers
with stylised foliate capitals. Clerestory windows in
2-centred arches on shafts with foliate capitals, paired above
nave, tripled in chancel. Apse lined with reredos of arcaded
tier of biblical busts carved in high relief over tier of
carved panels, and incorporating four sculpted figures seated
at lecterns beneath canopies. Above are five painted panels.
Outer arches to chancel are open and filled with sculpted
standing figures. Opulent altar and baldacchino. Chapel at
east end of north aisle has carved stone altar in semicircular
apse beneath 2-centred arch. Narthex is vaulted springing from
squat columns with stylised waterleaf capitals. Above is organ
gallery with plain parapet.
Lady Chapel: entered through screen of trefoiled arches
beneath tracery quatrefoil in 2-centred arch on columns with
waterleaf capitals and hoodmould on leaf stops. Chapel fitted
with richly carved panelling to sill height. Altar carved with
canopied figure of the Virgin and Child and two angels.
Original chairs with pierced traceried backs survive.
The church was the Pro-Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of
Beverley until 1879 when the See of Beverley was divided
between the Dioceses of Middlesbrough and Leeds.

(Bartholomew City Guides: Hutchinson J and Palliser DM: York:
Edinburgh: 1980-: 162; Parish Bulletin of St George's Church,
York: June/July 1988; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N:
Yorkshire: York and the East Riding: Harmondsworth: 1972-:
109).

Listing NGR: SE6015152127

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• York Oratory at Wikipedia
• York Oratory official website
• Wikidata Q7595635

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)